One's home is one's castle; and most people do not wish to share their castles with tiny, crawling pests such as ants, centipedes, pill bugs or spiders. Indeed, ridding one's home of small, crawling pests of these and other sorts can at times become a matter of concern, and effectively (i.e. totally) ridding one's home of such pests can thus pose a problem. Furthermore, with regard to any pesticide that is to be used in the home, the pesticidal activity as well as the physical appearance (of such a pesticidal composition) often plays an important role in a decision by today's consumer as to whether to purchase one particular pesticidally-effective product instead of another.
The amount of money spent annually on insect control by consumers is moreover sizable and well known; and, there is a noticeable on-going quest for better, ever more effective pesticides. Indeed, a variety of prior-art pesticidal compositions are well known.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,816,610 to Lusby discloses a so-called "palatable", foamed rodent-control material. Such a rodent-control material, more particularly, is said to comprise a rodent control agent such as a rodenticide which, in turn, is interspersed throughout a so-called "plastic foam cellular" structure. The foam cellular structure is produced by combining isocyanate with a mixture consisting of a polyol, a catalyst, a blowing agent, and a so-called "rodent-control" agent. Lusby discloses that such ingredients, after being thus combined, react chemically and expand in volume up to fifty (50) or more times, via so-called "foaming action". Lusby further discloses that the result of such a volume expansion is the production of a low-density substance or mass (i.e., a "foam"), which is said to be able to fill up cavities and take their shape, wherein such a mass quickly becomes rigid.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,524,911 to Leavitt discloses an insecticidal composition. More particularly, Leavitt discloses that the insecticidal composition, which is preferably utilized as an aerosol sprayable composition, comprises a so-called "substantially non-aqueous" mixture, which is said to include a toxic concentration of a vaporizable insecticide as well as a so-called "substantially inert" foam-forming carrier. After this insecticidal composition is dispensed from its aerosol spray container, the foam-forming carrier is said to form a so-called "stable" (i.e. a form-sustaining) foam. Leavitt further discloses that the insecticide is released from such a foam carrier in toxic concentrations at a controlled rate over a prolonged period of time.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,970,584 to Hart et al. discloses a personal-care foam-forming emulsion that is utilized to produce a rich, creamy, shiny foam having a so-called "fine" or "delicate bubble" structure. Hart et al. teach that such a foam can be utilized to produce a variety of personal-care types of products. In particular, Hart et al. specifically teach that such a rich, creamy, shiny foam can be utilized to produce an insect-repellent personal-care type of product. Hart et al. further specifically teach that their personal-care type of foam products can have certain unique characteristics which, in turn, are said to be particularly desirable in the personal-care field. In particular, Hart et al. point out that their foam product will have a so-called "fine" or "delicate" bubble structure, and that such a foam product will, as a result, possess desirable foam-density and foam-stiffness personal-care types of qualities.
German Pat. ("Offenlegungsschrift") No. 25 38 470 discloses a method for producing a pesticidally-active composition-of-matter, characterized as an attractant in admixture with a toxicant, wherein the composition-of-matter is produced by a method whereby the attractant and toxicant are absorbed into a piece of plastic foam by so-called "electrostatic" forces.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,076,744 to Geary discloses a particular insecticidal bait composition, which is said to include a so-called "polymerized aminoplast" and an insect-edible attractant in admixture with an organic insecticide. The attractant and the insecticide, in turn, are said to be "molecularly occluded" within the polymerized aminoplast. Geary further discloses that the polymerized aminoplast, containing the above-mentioned "occluded" ingredients, can be crushed to a fine-particle size and thereafter spread, for example, in insect-infested areas.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,983 to Maierson discloses certain sprayable and so-called "aerosolizable" web-forming compositions. Such compositions, in particular, are characterized as being self-supporting, three-dimensional webs of randomly-associated, joined monofilaments ranging in average diameter of from about 1 to 10 microns. Such so-called "web-forming" compositions of this sort are said to be utilizable for the purpose of encapsulating insecticidal ingredients. Insecticidal ingredients thus encapsulated can then be used to combat insects.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,020 to Himel et al. also discloses a process for the encapsulation of certain insecticidal particles.
British Pat. No. 1,107,140 to Mitchell et al. discloses an insecticidally-active oil-in-water emulsion which, after being dispensed from an aerosol-type dispenser, preferably is so formulated as to produce a spray rather than a foam.
In view of the many features and advantages of the above-discussed prior-art pesticidal products, as well as certain other prior-art pesticidal products (which are presently commercially available), present-day consumers nevertheless continue to seek ever novel pesticidal compositions-of-matter for a variety of reasons. For example, easy clean-up or disposal of a variety of now-inactive pesticidal products is desirable. Pesticidally-active compositions are of course known, in general, to possess a finite activity period. To facilitate clean-up of compositions rendered pesticidally-inactive due to the passage of time, it would be desirable that such a pesticidally-active composition be water-soluble.
Still further, for the manufacturer of such a product, it would be desirable that the ingredients be relatively low-cost; and it would be even more desirable that such a product be relatively inexpensive to manufacture as well.